


Old Dogs, Older Tricks

by tastygoldentaters



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Dogs, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-11-24 02:23:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20900087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tastygoldentaters/pseuds/tastygoldentaters
Summary: Inspector Javert is believed to be without friends. That belief is wrong: he makes friends wherever he goes. They just happen to be of rather canine nature.





	Old Dogs, Older Tricks

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tolpen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tolpen/gifts).

There were times when everything seemed to be wrong and rotten; times in which Javert thought he had no fight in him anymore, when there seemed to be no way out of this disgraceful existence that consumed the world around him. With each passing season, those times came around more often, and every morning the burden on his shoulders seemed to weigh him down and drown him in the bitterness of the cold coffee made the night before. With only him to drink it, there was always too much for him to finish at once, and he was too tired to bother throwing it out and brewing some more. Old bitter man, old bitter coffee, what did it matter? It was purely functional, just as he was. Stay awake, stay alert, live to serve his purpose. But the weight of it all couldn’t stop him from looking down. And look down he did, whenever he found himself off duty. When he presented himself to the rest of that filthy world as Inspector Javert, he had his chin up high and himself in good form. That was the right way to be. But off duty that pride wavered. No longer righteous, just tired from it all. And then he would look down; not to see the scum and scourge at his feet, but to avoid other pairs of eyes — gazes he was unworthy of if he was not in his position as a servant of the Law.

  
Sometimes, when he looked down, he would see the wretched and the damned, paying in life for their wickedness before death could take them — and God knows that after death they would pay all the same. But there were other times when he would look and find some form of comfort: eyes that looked up to him as if they were happy for his mere existence, eyes that did not care for who or what he represented. Loyalty and fierceness alike, unlike any person could ever give him, or even make him feel worthy of. Even children could be raised as scum, and he had hardly any empathy for them, but dogs were much more noble, from the prized hounds to the scabby mutt: they had more kindness in their eyes than the whole city of Paris could have. So wherever he went, he tried to capture these small moments of companionship, as best as he could. He was never inclined to writing, nor was he an artist by any means, but sketching dogs was something he had done his whole life, and the reason why he kept a small notepad in his coat pocket. By the time his body was found, its pages would have been long gone, dismantled by the same water that filled his lungs.

May 20 - Luc, white and caramel coat, droopy eyes. Sniffed my hands, and the inconvenient owner made small talk, but it was worth it.

May 22 - Unnamed, brown coat. Playful, fetched sticks I threw.

May 22 - Unnamed, white coat with brown spots. Big golden eyes, sat next to me and let me pet it.

May 27 - Chouchou, Irish water spaniel, black coat. Seemed very nervous, barked at other officers. Owner/witness was more willing to testify after I bonded with the dog.

May 29 - Maurice, black coat, long ears, brown markings that look like eyebrows. Very sweet, young pup. Owner apologised for him tugging on my coat. I did not mind.

May 31 - Bijou, beagle. Very stout dog, and quite friendly. Owners paid more attention to their nasty children.

June 2 - Unnamed, grey and brown collie. Followed me around the whole morning. I gave her some of my lunch.

June 3 - Unnamed, dachshund. Energetic, struts and wags his tail while running in circles around my legs.

June 4 - Unnamed, white and brown terrier. Seems antsy and stressed, barking at random people. I know how he feels.

June 5 - Unnamed, brown mastiff. She is looking into my eyes, and she knows what I've done. Maybe she can smell the blood in my hands. She flinched when I came near, then ran.


End file.
